VPRS 13381 Register of Applications, Benalla, Other Sections: Land Acts 1884, 1890, 1891, 1898 and 1901 (Benalla District Survey Office)

This series was created by the District Survey Office at Benalla. It is duplicated by Register of Applications, Benalla Other Sections Land Acts 1884, 1890, 1891, 1898 and 1901 (Occupation Branch) (VPRS 13380) which is the register created by the 'Benalla District Office' at the Occupation Branch.VPRS 13381 / P1 was previously registered as Unit 33 of VPRS 446/P Application Registers, Land Act 1884 and Unit 274 of VPRS 458 /P Application Registers, Land Act Unknown.Sections of an Act that were less common were often recorded together in the one register. This was the case with a number of sections of the Land Act 1884. These sections remained in consolidations of the Land Act (1890 and 1901), but with a change in the section number. Other lesser sections were added and also entered in the same register from subsequent acts such as the Land Act 1891, Land Act 1898 and the Wattles Act 1890.Section 65 of the Land Act 1884 provided for the annual licensing of auriferous (gold bearing) lands. Areas licensed were to be of no more than 20 acres with only one license being allowed for each individual. There was to be no sale of these lands. This section was amended by Section 90 of the Land Act 1898 providing for the appraisal of these lands. If the value of the land was appraised to be more than the rent already paid on them, the subsequent rental was to be no more than two shillings and sixpence per annum with no annual license fee.Section 67 of the Land Act 1884 allowed for the annual licensing of no more than 1000 acres for grazing on auriferous lands. This was allowed to continue for five years and with the right to mine the land remaining. Under Section 91 of the Land Act 1898, this term was extended to 21 years and the right to fence the land extended to licensees with the land able to be treated as rateable property.The Land Act 1890 Amendment of 1891, in Section 22 (later Section 106 of the Land Act 1901), provided for worked out auriferous lands to be proclaimed and licensed for occupation. No individual could occupy more than five acres for a period not exceeding seven years. Rent was to be no less than one shilling per acre and the land was to be used for such purposes as residence, place of business or for use as an orchard, vineyard or garden. After seven years, a Crown grant could be applied for with payment of not less than one pound per acre with previously paid rentals being used to defray the purchase price.Section 93 and Section 91 of the Land Act 1884 (subsequently Section 99, Land Act 1890 and Section 145, Land Act 1901) provided for the licensing or leasing of Crown lands for a multitude of purposes such as rural businesses, the removal of raw materials and other purposes none of which were to be agricultural or grazing. Licenses were renewable annually at a fee to be set. Leases under the 1884 Act for these purposes were to be of no more than three acres at an annual rental of five pounds. Holders of licenses under Section 99 of the Land Act 1890, who had buildings such as residences, a buttery an inn or store and the like, were also allowed, by Section 113 Land Act 1898 to apply for the exclusive right to purchase after possession for five years and the making of substantial improvements. Credit was given for rent already paid in determining the purchase price.Section 119, Land Act 1884 provided for the issuing of grazing licenses for Crown lands not otherwise held. This provision continued as Section 123, Land Act 1890 and Section 187, Land Act 1901.Section 147 of the Land Act 1901 allowed the licensing of bee-keeping establishments of not more than one acre for one year on any Crown land including that held under an agricultural license or lease or a grazing lease.The Land Act 1890, in Section 85, allowed the leasing of up to one hundred and sixty acres of reclaimed and drained swamp lands for a period of up to twenty-one years with the covenant that all waterways and drainage channels on the land were to be maintained. In Section 103, Land Act 1898 this was extended to include the choices of a perpetual lease or to be leased under conditional purchase lease. Rents were to be determined by the value set upon the land by the Board of Land and Works. Conditions were the maintenance of drainage arrangements and the making of substantial and permanent improvements to the value of ten shillings per acre during the first three years of the currency of any lease or from the date of sale. There was no requirement for residence on the land.The Wattles Act was passed to encourage the commercial exploitation of certain acacia species. Under Section 10, Wattles Act 1890 a lessee under Section 32 of the Land Act 1884 could cancel that lease and obtain a lease for the cultivation of wattle trees.When an application to select Crown land was received by the Department it would be registered in a register of applications. The contents of registers of applications were arranged alphabetically and application numbers were allocated consecutively in blocks for each letter of the alphabet.In an attempt to try and rationalise the way the Department managed Crown land, the Occupation Branch was established in 1874 under the influence of H Byron Moore, Assistant Surveyor General. The Occupation Branch was to deal with all matters relating to the occupation of Crown land.The State was divided into fifteen Land Districts, these being Ararat, Ballarat, Beechworth, Benalla, Castlemaine and Dunolly, Echuca, Geelong Warrnambool and Camperdown, Hamilton, Horsham, Melbourne, Sale and Bairnsdale, Sandhurst (Bendigo), Seymour and St Arnaud. Each District was represented at the Occupation Branch in Melbourne by a 'District Land Office'.Each District Land Office consisted of a double table or desk at which both a clerk and draughtsman sat. Everything in the way of files, maps and plans were at convenient reach. The same officers dealt with the sale of Crown land from its 'inception to its disposition'. The District Offices' staff consisted essentially of a clerical officer and a draughtsman who dealt solely with that Land District. It was their business to know the District and to deal with all land business related to it. By 1877 each District Land Office, consisted of a District Officer, a rental clerk, a draughtsman and several general clerks.After the establishment of the Occupation Branch in 1874 and the division of the State into Land Districts, applications were registered by District. Each 'District Land Office' created and maintained their own series of registers of applications. Any new applications received by the Department after 1874 were registered in separate District registers with applications numbers that were allocated from the number one onwards. The same application number could be allocated for selections in different Districts. For example, the application number 1021/65 could exist in both the Ballarat and Bendigo Land Districts. It is the District name plus the accompanying file number that is the unique identifier.Applicants completed an application form at District Survey Offices. Most Land Districts had a District Survey Office. The District Surveyor would enter the applicants' details in a register of applications kept at the District Survey Office. The register of applications allocated a number to each applicant. The application number was written on the application to select and subsequently became their land selection file number if their application was approved.The District Surveyor would enter into the register of applications the application number, the date the application was received, the applicants' name, occupation and parish, the allotment number and size (acres, roods and perches) applied for. The application was then forwarded to the appropriate District Land Office at the Occupation Branch in Melbourne. It was then entered in a duplicate register of applications there against the same application number. The District Surveyor also forwarded a tracing of the allotment applied for.The location of the allotment applied for was immediately charted on a working plan in pencil. The tracing was then sent to the Department of Mines and Water Supply (VA 2720) for a report on any mining objections. If there were no mining objections the application would be heard before a Local Land Board. Local Land Boards were made up of representatives from the local community and the Department of Crown Lands and Survey (VA 538). The Boards would hear from all applicants for an allotment and would decide who was to be granted the licence or lease. The schedule documenting the decisions of the Local Land Board was forwarded to the appropriate District Land Office at the Occupation Branch and the decision was entered into the register of applications.The Board of Land and Works (VA 744), the statutory authority for the management of Crown land, would give final approval for land selection, acting on the recommendation of the Local Land Board. The decision of the Board of Lands and Works (VA 744) was then recorded in the register of applications. The registers also record the date of the licence or lease issued and any subsequent action in relation to that file. The selectors granted each allotment would then be recorded on the working plan by the District Land Office draughtsman at the Occupation Branch. The tracing of the allotment was then sent to the Crown Land Bailiff responsible for that Land District.Registers of applications control selection and occupation files. If an application to select Crown land was successful, the application number would become the file number. For example, if an application to select under Section 42 of the Land Act 1884 was registered as application number 324 then the selection or occupation file number would be 324/42.The application number remained the selection file number for a particular piece of land if all terms and conditions were met and the selection resulted in a Crown Grant. However, often the original selector did not end up owning the land. Many selectors forfeited or abandoned their licence or lease. If this were the case then the land was re-opened up for selection. Any new applicants were registered in a register of applications under a new application number. The original applicants file would be attached to the new selectors file. The new file number was annotated in the register against the original selectors' entry.Even if the same selector applied for a licence on land he had previously forfeited, a new application number would be allocated and the file would have a new selection file number.

本系列档案由贝纳拉（Benalla）地区测量办公室编制。
本系列由1884年、1890年、1891年、1898年及1901年《土地法》其他条款（占地管理科）申请登记册（VPRS 13380）复制而来，该登记册由占地管理科下设的贝纳拉地区办公室编制。
VPRS 13381/P1 原登记为VPRS 446/P《1884年土地法》申请登记册第33单元，以及VPRS 458/P《未知土地法》申请登记册第274单元。
较为小众的法案条款通常会被合并登记至同一册中，1884年《土地法》的若干条款便是如此。这些条款在后续修订整合的《1890年土地法》与《1901年土地法》中仍被保留，但条款编号发生了变更。后续出台的《1891年土地法》《1898年土地法》及《金合欢种植法》（Wattles Act 1890）新增的小众条款也被一并纳入该登记册。
1884年《土地法》第65条规定，含金土地需按年度核发许可。获批许可的土地面积不得超过20英亩，且每人仅可持有一张许可，该类土地不得进行买卖。
1898年《土地法》第90条对该条款进行修订，新增了土地估值要求。若土地估值高于已缴租金，则后续年度租金不得超过2先令6便士，且无需缴纳年度许可费。
1884年《土地法》第67条规定，可按年度为含金土地核发总面积不超过1000英亩的放牧许可，许可有效期为5年，且持证人可保留土地采矿权。1898年《土地法》第91条将许可有效期延长至21年，并允许持证人圈围土地，该类土地可被列为应纳税财产。
1891年《1890年土地法修正案》第22条（后调整为《1901年土地法》第106条）规定，可对采尽矿产的含金土地进行公告并核发占用许可。每人占用土地面积不得超过5英亩，许可有效期不超过7年。年租金不得低于1先令每英亩，土地可用于居住、经营场所、果园、葡萄园或菜园。许可期满7年后，申请人可申请王室土地授予（Crown grant），需按不低于1英镑每英亩的标准缴费，此前已缴纳的租金可用于抵扣购地款。
1884年《土地法》第93条与第91条（后分别调整为《1890年土地法》第99条及《1901年土地法》第145条）规定，可就多种用途核发王室土地许可或租赁，包括乡村经营、原材料外运等，但不得用于农业或放牧。
许可可按年度续期，续期费用另行设定。根据1884年法案核发的此类用途租赁，土地面积不得超过3英亩，年租金为5英镑。
若持证人在1890年《土地法》第99条许可项下修建了住宅、酒窖、酒馆或商铺等设施，1898年《土地法》第113条允许其在占用土地满5年且完成重大改良后，申请独家购股权。
核定购地款时，可抵扣此前已缴纳的租金。
1884年《土地法》第119条规定，可就未作其他处置的王室土地核发放牧许可。该条款在《1890年土地法》中调整为第123条，在《1901年土地法》中调整为第187条。
《1901年土地法》第147条规定，可在任何王室土地（包括持有农业许可、租赁土地或放牧租赁土地）上核发不超过1英亩的养蜂场许可，有效期为1年。
《1890年土地法》第85条规定，可租赁最多160英亩经开垦与排水的沼泽地，租赁期最长为21年，承租人需承诺维护土地上的所有水道与排水渠。
1898年《土地法》第103条将该条款扩展，允许选择永久租赁或附条件购买租赁。租金由土地与工程委员会（Board of Land and Works）根据土地估值确定。
租赁条件包括维护排水设施，以及在租赁期首三年或自售地之日起，按每英亩10先令的标准完成重大永久性改良。土地上无强制居住要求。
《金合欢种植法》旨在推动特定金合欢树种的商业开发。根据1890年《金合欢种植法》第10条，持有1884年《土地法》第32条项下租赁的承租人可终止原租赁，转而申领金合欢种植租赁。
当土地部门收到王室土地选地申请后，会将其登记至申请登记册。申请登记册内容按字母顺序排列，申请编号按字母表顺序分段连续分配。
为优化王室土地管理流程，1874年在助理测量总监H·拜伦·摩尔（H Byron Moore）的推动下设立了占地管理科，负责处理所有与王室土地占用相关的事务。
该州划分为15个土地辖区，分别为：阿拉拉特、巴拉腊特、比奇沃斯、贝纳拉、卡斯尔梅因与杜诺利、伊丘卡、吉朗、瓦南布尔与坎珀当、哈密尔顿、霍舍姆、墨尔本、塞尔与贝恩斯代尔、桑德赫斯特（本迪戈）、西摩以及圣阿诺德。
每个辖区均在墨尔本的占地管理科设立地区土地办公室作为代表。
每个地区土地办公室设有双人工作台，供办事员与绘图员共同办公，文件、地图与图纸等资料均摆放于随手可取之处。同一批官员负责王室土地从受理到处置的全流程业务。
地区办公室的核心人员为办事员与绘图员，专门负责对应辖区的业务，他们需熟悉辖区情况并处理所有相关土地事务。至1877年，每个地区土地办公室已配备地区官员、租金办事员、绘图员以及多名普通办事员。
1874年占地管理科设立且全州划分为土地辖区后，申请按辖区进行登记。每个地区土地办公室均编制并维护独立的申请登记册系列。1874年后土地部门收到的所有新申请，均登记至对应辖区的独立登记册，申请编号从1开始连续分配。不同辖区可分配到相同的申请编号，例如巴拉腊特与本迪戈土地辖区均可存在申请编号1021/65。因此，辖区名称与附带的档案编号共同构成唯一标识符。
申请人需在地区测量办公室填写申请表格。多数土地辖区均设有地区测量办公室，地区测量员会将申请人信息登记至办公室留存的申请登记册，并为每位申请人分配编号。该申请编号会标注在选地申请表上，若申请获批，该编号即成为其土地选地档案编号。
地区测量员需在申请登记册中记录申请编号、收件日期、申请人姓名、职业与教区、申请地块编号及面积（英亩、罗得与平方杆）。随后，申请材料会被转交至墨尔本占地管理科对应的地区土地办公室，由其按同一申请编号登记至副本申请登记册中。地区测量员还需转交申请地块的描图。
申请地块的位置会立即以铅笔绘制在工作规划图上。随后，描图会被送至矿产与供水部（VA 2720），以获取是否存在采矿异议的报告。若无采矿异议，申请将提交至地方土地委员会进行审理。
地方土地委员会由当地社区代表与王室土地与测量部（VA 538）的人员组成。委员会会听取所有地块申请人的陈述，并裁定许可或租赁的授予对象。记录委员会决议的纪要会被转交至墨尔本占地管理科对应的地区土地办公室，并登记至申请登记册中。
土地与工程委员会（VA 744）作为王室土地管理的法定主管机构，会根据地方土地委员会的建议对选地申请作出最终批准。该委员会的决议会被登记至申请登记册中。
登记册还会记录许可或租赁的核发日期，以及该档案后续的所有相关操作。获批地块的选地人信息会由墨尔本占地管理科的地区土地办公室绘图员标注至工作规划图上。地块描图随后会被送至负责对应辖区的王室土地执行官。
申请登记册管控选地与占用档案。若王室土地选地申请获批，申请编号即成为档案编号。例如，若根据1884年《土地法》第42条提交的选地申请登记编号为324，则该选地或占用档案编号为324/42。
若申请人满足所有条款条件且最终获得王室土地授予，则该申请编号将持续作为对应地块的选地档案编号。但通常情况下，初始选地人最终未必能持有该土地，许多选地人会因违约或放弃许可/租赁而丧失资格。此时，该土地会重新开放供选地申请。新申请人需以新的申请编号登记至申请登记册，原申请人的档案会被附加至新选地人的档案中，登记册中会在原申请人的条目旁标注新档案编号。
即便同一选地人就其此前已丧失资格的土地再次申请许可，也会被分配新的申请编号，档案也将使用新的选地档案编号。